Where I'm at?????
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Here's me. but when drinking could be found in doorways!
Posts: 1,138
Where I'm at?????
I see so many people (including myself) being confused about whats going on within themselves during there recovery... especially early recovery where everything is confusing.
I am doing a university course through my work and we are looking at something called "TheTransition Curve" (Adams Hay and Hopson 1976)
There are 7 stages to this... you might find yourself on one of them:
1.Immobilisation: Feeling overwhelmed, blocked, unable to plan or act. No feeling, numbness. The experience of this phase seems related to the predicability and the positive or negative expectations of the transition: e.g., If the event was anticipated and seen as positive then this immobilisation will be felt less intensely or sometimes not at all.
2. Minimisation: Travialising or denying the change, sometimes accompanied by feelings or elation. Denial is sometimes seen as a less desirable or even unhealthy reaction. It is however, important to recognise it as a normal and necessary phase in the process of adjustment.
3. Depression: Increasing awareness of the reality of the transition, facing up to the change and its consequences. Disorientation, not know how to cope, how to adjust, how to respond to the new situation are all common feelings at this stage.
4. Accepting reality: Letting go of the past, of the time before the change, of how things used to be. This may be a very difficult time, as the person can experience a deep feeling of despair and loss, a sense of not being able to go back (things have really changed) nor being able to see a way forward. There may be a feeling of stuckness: "I don't believe I will ever feel better".
5. Testing: A gradual trying out of new behaviour, new ways of coping, trying out a new identity. There may be anger and impatience at this stage and sometimes there is a tendancy to have a rigid stereotyped view of how things should be or how the person should be seen or treated e.g. "I am a widow and therefore should be treated in a certain way".
6. Search of meaning: Seeking cognitive understanding of how and why things are different, trying to get a perspective on what has happened in the process so far. The person is able to stand back from the experience and attempts to make sense of it.
7. Internalisation: Incorporating the whole experience of change and the process of adjustment and consolidating the new behaviour.
It does not give me answers... but it does give me understanding on what i am going through...
This is not set in stone... but is a pretty good guide in how things are going in my life... and it works in all things in life...
Also as you can see... there is also an end in sight to each of these stages.... there is hope!!!!!!
I am doing a university course through my work and we are looking at something called "TheTransition Curve" (Adams Hay and Hopson 1976)
There are 7 stages to this... you might find yourself on one of them:
1.Immobilisation: Feeling overwhelmed, blocked, unable to plan or act. No feeling, numbness. The experience of this phase seems related to the predicability and the positive or negative expectations of the transition: e.g., If the event was anticipated and seen as positive then this immobilisation will be felt less intensely or sometimes not at all.
2. Minimisation: Travialising or denying the change, sometimes accompanied by feelings or elation. Denial is sometimes seen as a less desirable or even unhealthy reaction. It is however, important to recognise it as a normal and necessary phase in the process of adjustment.
3. Depression: Increasing awareness of the reality of the transition, facing up to the change and its consequences. Disorientation, not know how to cope, how to adjust, how to respond to the new situation are all common feelings at this stage.
4. Accepting reality: Letting go of the past, of the time before the change, of how things used to be. This may be a very difficult time, as the person can experience a deep feeling of despair and loss, a sense of not being able to go back (things have really changed) nor being able to see a way forward. There may be a feeling of stuckness: "I don't believe I will ever feel better".
5. Testing: A gradual trying out of new behaviour, new ways of coping, trying out a new identity. There may be anger and impatience at this stage and sometimes there is a tendancy to have a rigid stereotyped view of how things should be or how the person should be seen or treated e.g. "I am a widow and therefore should be treated in a certain way".
6. Search of meaning: Seeking cognitive understanding of how and why things are different, trying to get a perspective on what has happened in the process so far. The person is able to stand back from the experience and attempts to make sense of it.
7. Internalisation: Incorporating the whole experience of change and the process of adjustment and consolidating the new behaviour.
It does not give me answers... but it does give me understanding on what i am going through...
This is not set in stone... but is a pretty good guide in how things are going in my life... and it works in all things in life...
Also as you can see... there is also an end in sight to each of these stages.... there is hope!!!!!!
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,947
That's pretty good Louis, thanx for posting... Certainly consistent with my evolution through recovery.
Search of meaning is good...
However I already over intellectualize... so this stuff will just add some fuel to the fire. Damn
Mark
Search of meaning is good...
However I already over intellectualize... so this stuff will just add some fuel to the fire. Damn
Mark
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Here, Now
Posts: 4,268
Might want to check out the book "First Year Sobriety: When All That Changes Is Everything" by Guy Kettlehack. Stories of alcoholics from 1st day of sobriety through first year, pretty interesting.
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Here's me. but when drinking could be found in doorways!
Posts: 1,138
Hi....
Thanks for your responses.... i think sometimes it can be scary not understanding what i am going through and having it laid out in front of me helps... as i said though... it is not set in stone.... but for me... its better than nothing.... or total confusion.
Dee... thanks for the time zone check lol ... but i forgot to write it down... d*mn... looks like i am back to square one.... soooooooooo what time is it?
Mark... i over think things too.... it hurts the brain sometimes... not good... but still cant seem to stop... i just have to understand.
Mycoolfitz.... thankyou... i will check out that book... love to learn...
Thanks for your responses.... i think sometimes it can be scary not understanding what i am going through and having it laid out in front of me helps... as i said though... it is not set in stone.... but for me... its better than nothing.... or total confusion.
Dee... thanks for the time zone check lol ... but i forgot to write it down... d*mn... looks like i am back to square one.... soooooooooo what time is it?
Mark... i over think things too.... it hurts the brain sometimes... not good... but still cant seem to stop... i just have to understand.
Mycoolfitz.... thankyou... i will check out that book... love to learn...
where the light is
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 2,763
Originally Posted by louis 
.... i think sometimes it can be scary not understanding what i am going through and having it laid out in front of me helps... as i said though... it is not set in stone.... but for me... its better than nothing.... or total confusion.
I still have a serious tendency to mentally isolate myself. To think of myself as the only one who struggles in sobriety. Sometimes I think I'm insane!
But once I open my heart & mind to the experiences & wisdom of others, it all starts to make sense. What I'm going through is not unique & I'm not alone. And the best part? Faith. Knowing that I will get to that place of peaceful sobriety. Change can be difficult but the rewards are invaluable. Believe it. Believe in yourself.
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